Series:
Duke's Guard (Book 2)
London’s most sought-after modiste’s shop has been broken
into…but only Lady Aurelia’s gowns have been destroyed…
A formidable foe resurfaces as vile and vicious slander
spread through the ton. The target—Earl Lippincott and Lady Aurelia…
Sean O’Malley, head of The Duke’s Guard at Lippincott
Manor in Sussex, is sent to London to investigate the latest attack on the Duke
of Wyndmere’s family. Accustomed to putting himself in between danger and those
he vowed to protect, O’Malley has been shot at, earned cracked and broken ribs,
cuts, and bruises. It is part of the job. When he rescues the modiste’s petite
seamstress—a beauty with blue-black hair and eyes the color of melted
chocolate, he is awed by her bravery and spirit and unable to forget her smile.
Mignonette de Chauret loves working for Madame and is
temporarily living in the back room of her shop. Her nightmare returns when the
shop is broken into--again, forcing her to hide in the false bottom of an old
wardrobe. A blond-haired, green-eyed giant of a man dressed in black from head
to toe pulls her free. Mignonette is drawn to the handsome Irishman and feels
safe in the shelter of his arms.
As O’Malley lays the groundwork to expose the culprit
bent on destroying Earl Lippincott and Lady Aurelia, he is attacked outside the
duke’s townhouse. His arm flayed open to the bone, the threat of infection and
the reality he may lose his arm changes everything in a heartbeat. His vow to
protect and provide for the lass who has stolen his heart has him asking the
duke for a favor…
Mignonette must make a choice: Follow her heart and the
Irishman who holds it in his hands or help him heal and return to her life
working for Madame.
This series is linked to the
Lords of Vice series that
came before this series. Those books were about the Duke of Wyndmere and his
family members, with the O'Malleys and their cousins as secondary characters
providing needed security. In this series, the main characters are the guards, their
work for their employers, and the love they find along the way. I loved looking
at events from the commoner's point of view.
As this story opens, Sean O'Malley is sent from Sussex,
where he works for Earl Lippincott, to investigate the source of salacious
rumors about the earl's wife, Lady Aurelia. Sean is there to investigate when the gowns
the lady ordered are destroyed during a break-in at the modiste's. He meets one
of the seamstresses, Mignonette, and is immediately taken with her and
impressed by her bravery and spirit. When the shop is broken into a second time, Mignonette
hides in the false bottom of a wardrobe and is rescued by Sean.
I loved watching the interactions between Sean and Mignonette.
Sean is a protective man who can't stand by and watch if he can find a way to
help. When she is injured during the second attack, he sweeps her off to the
duke's townhouse, where she can heal, and he can watch over her. Sean tends to
be high-handed in his actions, doing what he thinks is best. Mignonette appears
to be a doormat at first, going along with everything. But once she starts to recover,
her natural feistiness reasserts itself. I loved seeing this tiny woman stand
up to the big, tough Sean and have him falling over himself to make things
right.
When Sean is badly injured in a knife attack, it is Mignonette's
turn to take care of him. The situation is dire, with the loss of his arm or
death a real possibility. I loved Mignonette's determination to save the man
and the arm. Seeing her ride herd on the stubborn Irishman was great fun. Sean worries
about being able to protect her and settles on the best he can imagine -
marriage. If something happens to him, she'll have his family and his employer
to watch over her.
I loved the development of the relationship between them.
The connection between them is immediate and strong. Sean's protectiveness was
sweet, as was how he tried to anticipate her needs. Mignonette's life had not
been easy, and she feels safe and cared for with Sean. It's no surprise that
she fell in love with him, but she thinks that she isn't good enough for him.
It's easy to see that Sean is in love with her, too, but he doesn't recognize
his feelings. I enjoyed seeing Mignonette's fiery feistiness appear as she
settled into her marriage with Sean. There were times when he had no idea what he'd
gotten into, but he was happy. I liked how everything came together for them at
the end, and I look forward to seeing more of them in future books.
The suspense of the story was good. I could feel the
earl's frustration over the rumors that maligned his wife and his inability to
stop them. I liked seeing Sean and the others proceed with their investigation
and discover who was behind it. Unfortunately, without proof, there wasn't much
they could do. An intense scene near the end with one of the co-conspirators unexpectedly
puts Mignonette in danger, though she also prevents a tragedy. I suspect that
the perpetrator of the trouble will still be a problem in the next book, and I
can't wait to see how that one goes.
I loved the closeness among the members of the Duke's
Guard. They are all related, parts of a big Irish family. Some of their
interactions are hilarious with how they tease each other and fight at the drop
of a hat. But no matter what, they are always there to back each other up, whether
in battle or love. I also like the mutual respect they have going on with their
employers and other investigators.
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